Automatic flying-machine and bomb-dropper



F. STEVENS.

AUTOMATIC FLYING MACHINE AND BOMB DROPPER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 17, 1918. RENEWED lAN.26.1920.

1 ,357,53 1 Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

IN VEN TOR. Fred ISZEI/e rw A TTORNEY.

F. STEVENS.

AUTOMATIC FLYING MACHINE AND BOMB DROPPER.

APPLICATION FILED IAN-17,1918. RENEWED JAN.26.1920.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2- INVENTOR. M $222 2/6 m9 A TTORNE Y.

F. STEVENS. AUTOMATIC FLYING'MACHINE AND BOMB DROPPER. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 17. 1.9m. RENEWED JAN. 26, 1920.

1,357,531. Patented Nov. 2,1920.

3 SHEET$SHEET 3.

INVENI'OR Fred Shamans WNWEE S TTfig orsice.

FRED STEVENS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1920.

Application filed January 17, 1918, Serial No. 212,174. Renewed January 26, 1920. Serial No. 354,249.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED STEVENS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Flying-Machines and Bomb-Droppers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in an automatic flying machine and bomb dropper, and has for its object to provide a device of this character whichmay be loaded with bombs and the parts set so that the machine will fly to a certain location, drop the bombs and then: return to its. starting point automatically and without an operator.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ying machine for use without an operator, said flying machine having means for tilting it in one direction during the time it is ascending, said means being so actuated that'after the flying machine has traveled a predetermined distance or length of time, the flying machine will be tilted in the opposite direction so as to descend in the locality of its starting point.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for actuating the rudder so that the air ship will be turned at a predetermined time to cause the flying machine to returnto its original starting point after it has traveled the desired distance or space of time.

A still further object of the invention is to provide timing means whereby the fuel supply will be gradually diminished and finally shut off entirely when the flying machine has reached the locality where it is to descend.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flying machine with bomb containers, the latter provided with closures which are adapted to be actuated for the dropping of the bombs at a certain time, as for instance, during the time the flying machine is turning to start on its homeward journey and others shortly thereafter.

With these ends in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements set forth'and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that thoseskilled in the art to which this invention aopertain's may understand how to make and use the same I will Fig. 3, is an enlarged detail plan view of the valve controlling the fuel supply and the means for closing said valve at a predetermined time.

Fig. is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 5, is an end view of the weight for controlling the position of the airship during ascent and descent showing an arrangement for supporting the same upon the air ship and illustrating the means for operatively connecting the weight to the screw,

which moves said weight.

Fig. 6, is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 7, is a vertical section view of one of the contact members for completing the circuit through a solenoid which actuates the rudder showing the means which looks it to the screw or threaded rod in a disengaged position, and

Fig. 8, is a side elevation thereof. In carrying out my invention as here embodied 2 re resents a flying machine or aeroplane whic may be of any desirable and well known construction and provided with any desirable number of supporting planes, but for convenience of illustration and the proper description of my invention I have shown the flying machine in the form of a bi-plane consisting of a body 3 having suitable supporting means to be used when alighting and these means are here illustrated wheels 4, but it will be readily understood that they may be replaced by skids or pontoons.

The body 3 is here shown as a flat frame work, but it, as will be obvious, might be in the form of a car or boat hull and supports the upper and lower planes 5 and 6 respectively. I

., On some suitable portion of the flying machine is arranged a motor or engine 7 of any-desirable and well known construction,

as for instance, an internal combustion or. gasolene explosive engine and on the shaft 8 of said engine is mounted the propeller 9.

Power is transmitted from this shaft in some suitable manner as by worm gearing to the threaded rod or screw 10, the ratio of the gearing being such that the threaded rod 10 will revolve relatively slow when considered with relation to the shaft 8 of the engine and this threaded rod is journaled in suitable bearings 11.

On this threaded rod which receives its motion from the engine are mounted two contact members 12 and 13 which are identical in construction so that but one. will be described and which is plainly illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8.

The contact member comprises a hub 14 having a central bore 15 for registration with the threaded rod 10 and in this hub is formed aslot 16communicating with the bore 15 and located in this slot 16 is a latch 17 pivoted as at 18. The body of said latch approximately coincides with a. portion of the cross section of the hub 14 and has an arcuate inner face which coincides with the curvature of the bore provided with threads designated by the numeral 19 for engagement with the threads of the rod 10, sothat when the latch is closed or in operative position, the revolving of the threaded rod 10 will move the contact member along said rod in one direction and when it is desired to adj ust, the contact member of the rod the latch is opened and said'contact member moved in either direction along the rod. The hub carries a contact arm 20 which is preferably formed integral with the hub.

The contact arm of the member 12 rests upon a guide 21 running longitudinally of the body of the flying machine while the contact armof the member 13 rests upon another similar guide 22 on the other side of the threaded rod 10 and this guide also runs longitudinally of the flying machine. These guides are identical in construction each having a low portion 23 and an elevated portion 24, the latter portions being toward that end of the flying machine from which the contact members 12 and 13' begin their movement when. the flying machine is started and the elevated portion of one of these guides is of greater length than the other, or the points where the guides change from one elevation to. another are in different relative positions, one being farther from the forward end of the flying machine than the other.

Beside these guides and in the region. of the lower portions thereof are located the rheostats 25 and 26 adjacent each of which is located a contact plate 27. The rheostats and their associated plates arearranged in the path of travel of the contact arms of the members 12. and 13 and the rheostat 25 is electrically connected as by :wm .28v with a battery or source of electrical energy 29 illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 2 and shown as fastened to the underside of the lower plane of the flying machine in Fig. 1, while the contact plate 27 associated with the rheostat 25 is electrically connected as by a wire 30 with one end or one of the windings of the solenoid 31 while the other contact member 27 or the one associated with the rheostat2fi is electrically connected. as by a wire 32 with the other terminal end or winding of the solenoid 31 and the rheostat 26 is electrically connected as by a wire 33 with the battery 29 which battery is con nected with the third terminal of the solenoid or runs to both thewindings of said solenoid.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that when the contact arm. of the contact member 12 engages the rheostat 25 and its associated plate 27 a circuit will be completed through one of the windings of the solenoid which will move the core 34 ofsaid solenoid in one direction whereas if the contact arm of the member 13 engages the 1 rheostat, 26 and its associated contact plate the other. winding of the solenoid will be energized and the core thereof moved in the opposite direction. To each end of the core is con.- nected one of the rudder cables 35 which are connected with the rudder 36 in any suitable and wellknown manner and these rudder cables pass aroundv suitable guide pulleys 37 located adjacent the solenoid.

The solenoid described above illustrates one means by which the rudder may be amtomatically actuated at predetermined times for steering the flying machine at a proper time to cause said flying machine to travel. in the desired directions, but it will be obvious that another suitable means could be used as for instance, a reversible electricmotor, and I desire it to be understood that such a change would be within the'spirit of my invention.

In practice I prefer that the engine or motor for operating the device would be aself-starter and in stopping thesame during the descent of. the flying machine I desire to gradually cut off the fuel supply and in Figs. 3 and 4 I have illustrated one means of accomplishing this'result in which 57 represents a valve located in the fuel supply pipe leading from the fuel reservoir to the engine and on the valve stem 38 is secured a crank or handle 39' connected by a link 40 with a plate or disk 41 which is arranged to: rotate about a shaft 42 actuated by any well known clock movement of sufficient size and stren h to close the valve and as the details 0 construction of this clock movement or spring motor are not es sential to the carrying out of my invention I have not shown the parts in detail, but

have illustrated a as casing which in:

-, which revolves with said shaft so that said hand moves a predetermined distance in a giventime, as for instance, it will move the distancebetween any two of the holes of the disk in one hour or some fraction of said distance in some division of anhour. The holes 45 are regularly formed in the disk and are adapted to receive a pin or stop member 46 and which is placed in any one of the holes according to the time when it is desired to throttle or entirely shut ofl the fuel supply.

Considering that the hand 44 is traveling toward the left in Fig. 8 then it will engage the pin or stop member 46 in approximately four and one-half hours and cause the disk 41 to revolve with the hand which will transmit motion to the valve handle and gradually close the valve to gradually throttle the fuel supply until it is entirely shut off, which from 'the showing here, will take about one hour. The adjustment of the parts should be such that the flying machine will descendjust prior to the shutting off of the fuel supplyso that the flying machine will gently alight and slowly come to a stand still.

To the underside of the flying machine, as for instance the body thereof,are secured the parallel tracks 47 which run longitudinally of the body or from the rear portion of the flying machine to the forward portion thereof and on these tracks is slidably mounted the adjustable weight 48 provided with a bore 49 with which registers the threaded rod 50, the ends of the latter being j ournaled in suitable depending brackets 51 and receiving its motion from the other threaded rod 10 through suitable power transmission devices, such as sprocket wheels and a chain or gears as illustrated.

The weight 48 is brought into operative relation with the threaded rod by means of a catch 52 pivoted to the weight in the region of one end of its bore and said catch 52 has an arcuate face or concavity which is provided with sectional threads 53 so that when the catch is in engagement with the threaded rod 50 and the latter is revolving theweight will be moved along its tracks toward the forward end ofthe flying machine.

In some convenient part of the flying machine is located abomb holder 54, here shown as being situated about midway the length of the body and thisbomb holder is arranged at an angle so that the bombs contained therein will drop out of the lower or outlet end when the door 55 is open, said door being hinged to the holder and normally held closed by a 'catch 56 journaled as V at 58 and having an operating arm 59 which rests upon the contact arm 20 of the contact member 12 so that when said contact arm drops from the elevated portion 24 of the guide 21 to the lower portion 23 thereof, there will be a suflicient-movement of the arm 50 to disengage the catch 56 from the door 55 and permit the latter to drop open so that the bombs will fall from the holder 54. In order that the bombs may be guided until they have passed below the body of the flying machine I provide a chute 60 which leads from the mouth or outlet of the holder 54 and projects a short distance through the flying machine body. The upper end of the bomb holder is normally closed by a lid 61 so that after being filled,

the lid may be closed and locked if found desirable to prevent any one from removing the bombs.

At the forward end of the flying machine is located another bomb holder 62 somewhat similar to the holder described above and theupper end of this holder is normally closed by a lid or top 63 preferably hinged to the holder and held in a closed position by a suitable latch or look, while to the lower outlet end or mouth is hinged a door 64 normally held in a closed position by a catch 65 pivoted as at 66 and having an arm 67, the end of which projects into the path of travel of one end of the solenoid core 34 so that when said core is moved in one direction for turning the rudder 36 to one side, said arm 67.will be engaged by the core of the solenoid and operated to cause the catch 65 to be disengaged from the door 64 so as to permit said door to open and allow the bombs to drop out of the bomb holder and in order to prevent said bombs from falling on to the lower plane of the flying machine should the bombs be dropped when the flying machine is in an inclined position, I provide'a chute 68 located directly below the mouth of the bomb holder and projecting through the lower plane.

The operation of the device is as follows:

When the flying machine is to be sent into the enemys territory the distance the machine is to travel is ascertained and the approximate time necessary for the machine to travel this distance is figured out after which the weight 48 is placed at a point on the threaded rod 50 a sufficient distance to the rear of the center of gravity of the'flying machine, whereby said weight will travel to said center of gravity of the flying machine when the flying machine has reached its farthest distance out or away from its starting point.

After the weight has been properly positioned the contact members 12 and 13 are properly set so that the contact arm of the member 12 will drop from the elevated portion of its guide at the time-the weight 48 has reached the center of gravity of the flying machine, which is the time when the flying machine is directly above the enemys territory or over the object to be attacked, while the contact member 13 is arranged to leave the elevated portion of its guide shortly thereafter.

- Next the fuel cut off is set and if the time required to travel the distance desired is one hour, then the pin 46 is placed in one of the'holes 45 in the disk 41 which is that distance from the hand 44, which said hand will travel in one hour providing it requires a little more than an-hour to shut off the valve after the hand 44 has engaged the pin 46 and begun to rotate the disk 41.

All the parts being properly set, the engine is started which will drive the flying machine forward and when sufficient momentum is obtained, said flying machine will begin to rise and because of the position of the Weight 48, the said flying machine will be inclined to ascend until the weight reaches the center of gravity of the flying machine at which time said flying machine will proceed on an even keel for a short time and during the period of time the contact arm 20 of the member 12 will engage the rheostat 25 and its collector plate 27 and thereby close the circuit through one of the windings of the solenoid 31 causin the core 34 thereof to be moved in one dlrection which will turn the rudder 36 for steering the flying machine and cause it to describe a semicircle and just as soon as the flying machine has been turned a suflicient distance to be headed for its starting point, the contact arm 20 of'the member 12 will be disengaged from the rheostat 25 while the contact arm 20 of theother member 13 will engage the rheostat 26 and its associated collector plate, thereby closing an electric circuit through the other winding of the solenoid 31 and causes the core 34 to be returned to its normal position which will again move the rudder 36 to its straight position so that the flying machine would be held in a straight course toward its starting point and as the weight 48 will at this time have passed to a position forward of the center of gravity of the flying machine, the front end of said flying machine will be slightly depressed so that said machine will be inclined to the proper position for causing the flying machine to descend and as the descent will take the same length of time as required for the ascent, the flying machine will reach the ground in the locality of its starting point and since the fuel supply will be entirely shut off about this time, the flying machine will gently alight and then come to a stand still.

\Vhen the flying machine reaches the enemys territory and is about to be turned for its homeward journey, the arm 20 of the manner member 12 will as before stated drop front the elevated portion of its guide which will cause the arm 59 to descend and disenga e the catch 56 from the door 55 so that t e latter will open and the bombs contained in the holder 54 will drop therefrom and ex-v plode among the enemy. As soon as the rheostat 25 is engaged by the arm of the member 12, the resistance is gradually cut out and the core 34 of the solenoid is moved slowly in one direction and when the movement is sufficient for one end of said core to engage the arm 67, the catch will be disengaged from the door 64 of the bomb holder 62 and permit the bombs in said holder to drop into the territory of the enemy.

' From the foregoing it will be seen that I have produced an exceedingly simple and effective device which may be adjusted to travel any desired distance and length of time and automatically steer itself so as to return to. its starting point and also automatically drop a number of bombs without the guiding hand of an operator or without the use of outside influences, other than the timing of the parts prior to the starting of the flying machine on its journey.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction as herein shown as these may be varied Within the limits of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and patentable is 1. An automatic flying machine and bomb dropper comprising a body, supporting planes carried thereby, a rudder, a propeller, an engine for driving the latter, means for automatically shutting off the fuel supply to the engine, a solenoid, means for forming an electric circuit. through said solenoid including a pair of rheostats with their associated co lector plates, means for connecting the solenoid core with the rudder, contactmembers for closing the circuit. through the solenoid, means receiving its power and motion from the engine for causing said contact members to complete the circuit at a predetermined time, a bomb holder actuated by one of the contact members and another bomb holder actuated by the solenoid core.

2. An automatic flying machine and bomb dropper comprising a body, supporting planes carried thereby, a rudder, a propeller, an engine for driving the latter, means for automatically shutting off the fuel supply to the engine, a solenoid, means for forming an electric circuit through said solenoid including a pair of rheostats with their associated'collector plates, means for connecting the solenoid core with the rudder, contact members for closing the circuit through the solenoid, means receiving'its power and mo tion from the engine for causing said con tact members to completethe circuit at a predetermined time, a bomb holder actuated by one of the contact members, another bomb holder actuated by the solenoid core, a weight suspended beneath the body and revoluble means for moving the weight to and from the center of gravity of the flying machine whereby the same will be tilted upward a certain length of time and then be tilted downward.

3. In a device of the character stated, a body, planes carried thereby, an engine, a propeller lriven by said engine, an automatic fuel supply regulator for the engine, a revoluble threaded rod receiving its motion from the engine, contact members mounted thereon and provided with means whereby they may be set in operation at a desired point on said rod, an arm carried by each of said members, a guide for each arm whereby they will be caused to descend at a predetermined point in their travels, a rheostat and associated collector plates located in the path of travel of-each arm and in the region of that part of each guidewhere the arms of the contact members descend, a solenoid electrically connected with a source of electricity and the rheostats and i their associated collector plates, a rudder, cables connecting the rudder with the ends of the rheostat core whereby the movements of said core will actuate the rudder, tracks on the underside of the body, a weight slidably mounted thereon, another threaded rod receiving its power and motion frbm the first named threaded rod, means for operatively connecting the weight adapted to tilt the device in one direction during its ascent and in the other direction during its descent, a bomb holder provided with a door, a catch for normally holding said door closed, means carried by the catch and coacting with one of the contact members whereby the catch will be actuated to unlock the door at a predetermined time for dropping bombs from the holder, another bomb holder provided with a door, a catch for normally holding said door closed, means carried by the catch located in the path of travel of the solenoid core in one direction whereby when said core engages said means the door will be unlocked for dropping bombs from the holder.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto aflixed my signature.

FRED STEVENS. 

